1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a size restoring device for stretching and restoring the original size of fabric such as collars, front plackets, and shirt cuffs that have shrunk after being washed or the like. Fabric is restored using the size restoring device prior to finishing by ironing or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional procedure for restoring fabric such as collars, front plackets, and shirt cuffs that have shrunk after being washed or the like includes stretching and pressing the fabric almost simultaneously with a stretcher having an upper or lower flatiron of an iron pressing machine. Thus, the fabric is stretched on the flatiron.
First, combining the flatiron of the iron pressing machine and the stretcher complicates the structure of the flatiron. However, there still remains the problem of restoring the original size of the fabric.
A shirt W, as shown in FIG. 6, has a front placket 14 with buttonholes for fastening the front buttons. Typically, an interlining is inserted into the front placket 14 for maintaining its original shape. However, since the material of the interlining and the material of the front placket 14 are different, the materials shrink differently after being washed. The front placket 14 warps and looks unattractive when the buttons are fastened, if the original size of the front placket 14 has not been restored.
Collars, front plackets, and shirt cuffs made from various materials are not the only problems that arise. There are the difference in material shrinkage and the structural differences between the stitched part of the interlining, the stitched part of the front placket, and the stitched part of the collar base. Therefore, the exact restoration of the original size is difficult when only arbitrarily stretching the fabric.
In addition to the above problems, the complex structure of the flatiron is expensive to produce and also increases the risk of mechanical failure.
The present invention provides a size restoring device that can overcome the above-mentioned problems. The present invention also provides a size restoring device that provides a precise action for stretching and restoring the fabric using a relatively simple structure.
The present invention provides a size restoring device that, for example, has holders on the baseboard for holding both ends of the fabric of a shirt""s collar. A size restoring device of the present invention comprises a stretcher for stretching the fabric by moving at least one of the holders in the stretching direction. A size restoring device of the present invention also comprises a stretch adjuster for adjusting the distance that the holder has moved to obtain the required measurements. A size restoring device having the structure described above restores the original size of collars, front plackets, and shirt cuffs by stretching the collars, front plackets, and shirt cuffs that have shrunk after being washing or the like.
Furthermore, a steam releaser can be located on the center of the baseboard so that steam can be sprayed onto the fabric, thereby providing moderate moisture to the stretched fabric of the collars or the like. Thus, the fabric is stretched properly and without undue force.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.